Hay-press.



JOHN M. ENYART, 0F LEWISVILLE, ARKANSAS.

HAY-PRESS.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led January 21, 1913.

Serial No. 743,307.

To all whom t may concern BeA it known that I, JOHN M. ENYART, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lewisville, in the county of Lafayette and State of Arkansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hay- Presses; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to presses for compressing hay to form bales, and it may be used for any other similar material; and it consists in certain driving mechanism for sliding the plunger back and forth in the press chamber as hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through a hay press constructed according to this invention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan view of the press, taken on the line mha in Fig. 1.

The press chamber 2 is a long rectangular box provided with a feed hopper, and has also bale binding devices of approved construction which are not shown in the drawings. The plunger 3 slides longitudinally in the press chamber, and is provided with an operating stem 4, which slides on a guide shelf 5 secured in the rear part. of the press chamber and which is arranged hori- Zontally. The stem 4 has a recess 6 in the rear part of its upper side, and 7 is a trip or trip roller arranged in the said recess, and journaled to revolve freely.

The stem 4 is relatively broad and flat, and it projects from the middle part of the plunger, and the support-ing shelf extends crosswise between the side walls of the rear portion of the rectangular box or chamber, in the front end portion of which the hay is pressed, and affords a large flat bearing surface for the stem 4 to slide on. The stem and its shelf can easily be lubricated, and they do not become obstructed by particles of hay, and the plunger 3 is relieved of much friction against the bottom of the press chamber.

The main driving shaft 8 of the press is journaled in bearings 9 in the sides of the press chamber, and it extends through it crosswise of and above the operating stem. A driving pulley 10 is secured on the shaft 8 outside the press, and two similar toothed pinions 11 are secured on the shaft 8 inside the press chamber and adjacent to its side walls.

A countershaft 14 is journaled in bearings 15 in the sides of the press chamber, and is arranged in front of the shaft 8. Two similar toothed wheels 17 aresecured on the shaft14 and gearinto the two pinions 11.

Sprocket wheels 18 are secured on the middle part of the shaft 14, and 19 are two drive chains of approved construction which pass over and are driven by the sprocket wheels 18. A tightener shaft 20 is journaled in bearings 21 at the rear part of the press chamber, and these bearings are slidable in guides 22 on the press chamber. A tension device or tightener 23 4.of any approved construction is arranged between the press chamber 'and the bearings 21, for the purpose of sliding the bearings longitudinally. Two sprocket wheels 24 are secured on the tightener shaft, and the drive chains pass over these wheels 24, and their lower stretches rest on the stem 4.

A catchbar 25 is secured crosswise of the two drive chains and drops into the recess 6 and engages automatically with the trip roller when the plunger is retracted. A retracting hook 28 is secured to the top of the plunger, and extends rearwardly in the upper part of the press chamber.

The tip of the retracting hook is inclined downwardly and forwardly, and the hook is formed on the rear end of a long stem which is free to vibrate vertically with the chains, being secured at its front end only to the middle part of the top of the plunger. The hook tip projects under the middle part of the catchbar, so that the catchbar cannot slip when the upper stretches of the drive chains sag or vibrate.

When the driving shaft is revolved in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1, the plunger is moved forward in the press chamber, by the drive chains and the catchbar secured to them, which catchbar engages with the trip roller 7, and the material is compressed in the front end portion of the press chamber.

The trip roller leaves the catchbar as it passes upwardly over the sprocket wheels 18, and the trip roller engages with the retracting hook as it commences to move rearwardly.

The plunger is retracted by the retracting hook, and the trip roller leaves the retracting hook as it passes downwardly over Patented Nov. 25, 1913.

1. The combination, with a press cham-y ber, and a plunger slidable therein and provided with a stem; of a pair of drive chains arranged in the said chamber, driving mechanism for supporting and actuating the drive chains, a catchbar secured crosswise between the drive chains, and a retracting hook having a stem which is secured at` one end to the plunger, said hook having an inclined tip which projects under Vthe middle part of the catchbar during its rearward movement and effects the return of the plunger.

2. The combination, withY a press chamber, and a shelf secured crosswise between the side walls of the rear part of the chamber; of a plunger slidable in the front part ofthe chamber and provided with a relatively broad steinwhich slides on kthe said shelf, a trip carried by the said stem, and drive chains arranged in the upper part of the chamber over the shelf and provided with a catchbar which engages with the said trip and moves the plunger forwardly.

3. The combination, with a press chamber, and a shelf secured crosswise between the side walls of the rear part of the chamber; of a plunger slidable in the front part of the chamber and provided with a relatively broad stem which slides on the said shelf and which has a recess in its upper side, a trip roller journaled in the said recess, drive chains arranged in the upper part of the chamber over the shelf, and a catchbar secured crosswise of the drive chains and entering the said recess and engaging with the trip roller and operating to move the plunger forwardly, and permitting the drive chains to rest on the upper surface of the said stem.

In testimony whereof I have aiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses,

JOI-IN M. ENYART.

Witnesses T. A. GRIswoLD, J. E. BARHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

